The present invention relates in general to gate valves and, more particularly, to a gate valve of the so-called wedge type, wherein at least a portion of the gate is tapered and a corresponding portion of the valve chamber is complementarily tapered to receive the tapered portion of the gate in the closed position thereof.
More particularly, the invention contemplates a wedge-type gate valve which includes: a valve body provided therein with a valve chamber having at least a tapered portion and provided therethrough with a flow passage intersecting the tapered portion of the valve chamber; a wedge-type gate movable longitudinally of itself in the valve chamber and transversely of the flow passage between open and closed positions, the gate having a tapered portion complementary to the tapered portion of the valve chamber, and having an opening therethrough which registers with the flow passage in the open position of the gate, such opening preferably being a circular port; the valve body being provided with annular seats for the gate which encircle the flow passage on opposite sides of the tapered portion of the valve chamber; guide means carried by the valve body and engageable with the gate for guiding the gate between its open and closed positions; and actuating means carried by the valve body and connected to the gate for moving the gate between its open and closed positions.